Why Are Those Cameras On The Traffic Lights In Fairhaven?

You've seen them. The cameras that are mounted above the signal lights at some of the newly rebuilt intersections. In Fairhaven, they are at Alden Road and Bridge Streets, in Wareham near the Wareham Crossing shopping center. Are they there to record the the plate numbers of anyone who runs a red light? The official answer is "no." Fairhaven Police Chief Michael Myers told me that those cameras are there simply to control the traffic lights themselves. They monitor how many vehicles are at the intersection at any given time.

The lights then change accordingly. The state told Chief Myers that the cameras are not used to record any video. They replace the old technology of sensors that are under the roadways that are still used at many intersections. So rest assured, you are not being spied on as you wait for the light. If the cameras are doing their job, your wait at the intersection should be a bit shorter than before.